A Forgotten Story
by Shadow and Phoenix
Summary: [AU, multiple crossover] Join two girls as they try to keep the balance between the human and spirit worlds in check.
1. Prologue

Title: A Forgotten Story

Author: Shadow, Phoenix

Chapter: Prologue

Rating: T

Warnings: swearing, violence, dark humour, atheistic tendencies

Disclaimer: Yes, I am a god; yes I do own everything in this fic. (Note the blindingly obvious sarcasm.)

Notes: italics are thoughts, memories, flashbacks, etc.

(?)(?)Japan 1721(?)(?)

_The first light of sunrise flowed through a circular window on the second floor of the shogun's palace in Edo, Japan illuminating the waist length purple haired spirit by the window. The appearance would have been that of a normal day, had the spirit's hands not been bound with rope. Feeling the sunlight, the spirit's thoughts turned to the events of the previous day._

_'Traitor'_

_'Fujiwara no Sai is a traitor'_

_'He knew what was at stake, yet he broke the laws and betrayed his country'_

_"Sakoku policy, no one may enter or leave on pain of death," Sai whispered softly to himself. As Sai turned back towards the rising sun the once bright fire in his eyes was extinguished by silent tears._

(?)(?)Chicago IL, 2006(?)(?)

"CRAP!" A girl with black and red hair is running around a slightly cluttered room screaming about her alarm clock. A girl with brown hair sits up, blinking owlishly at her adopted sister.

"What? What happened? Is the house on fire?"

"NO! Worse, this crappy alarm clock didn't go off!"

"Maybe that's because you forgot to set it? Or perhaps because you smashed it with your paperweight last week?"

"Oops." Both girls were now hurriedly getting dressed in their uniforms.

"I hate these stupid uniforms...they make me look like I believe in God."

"Well at least we don't have to wear mini skirts." They quickly finish dressing, and dash downstairs to eat a hasty breakfast of leftover Thai food.

"I guess we have to drive"

"Holy crap no, we'd die a horrible, painful, fiery, death. Let just run." Five minutes later they arrive at school and enter Bible Studies.

"Today we will be studying the ten commandments. Miss Kyoko explain

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name."

"Well crap," the girl with red and black hair mutters. "Err...it means that if you forget your homework you can't be like 'Oh my God I'm gonna die' or if you trip you can't yell 'Jesus Christ that hurt like a motherfucker'"

"Miss Kyoko, I am appalled at your language...

(?)(?)Japan 1721(?)(?)

_A soft knocking on the door brought Sai out of his reverie, and a girl with waist length black hair poked her head into the room. The look in her eyes was all Sai needed to know it was time. Sai looked out the window at the sun once more before going to join the girl at the door._

_Before steeping into the hallway the girl shifted Sai's bonds so they were in front. When the sleeves shifted, two wristbands of red and orange momentarily showed themselves on Sai's right wrist._

_"Phoenix, I appreciate you being my escort even though it will hurt both you and your status to associate yourself with a traitor like me," said Sai addressing the black haired girl walking beside him._

_"You're only a traitor to the people, to my eyes and those of your friends, your innocent" said Phoenix._

_The pair was silent as they walked through the palace to the start of a lush garden path leading towards the market square. The few people they met inside the palace were friends who had chosen not to attend the execution, and so gave the pair the respect that their status would have commanded. A little way along the garden path Phoenix finally broke the silence_

_"Sai, you didn't have to stay and take the blame"_

_"I didn't have the luxury of fighting back, there wasn't anything I could do that would have prevented this," said Sai not able to meet Phoenix's eyes._

_"Still you didn't have to wear those wristbands that tell the whole city you're going to be burned alive."_

_"Phoenix, I wear the wristbands to show I'm ready to accept my fate."_

_By this time Phoenix and Sai had made their way down the path to the square. Seeing the large crowd produced a painful memory in Sai's subconscious, a betrayal that ultimately had a colleague walking the path that he now tread. Fighting the tears the memory brought about, yet still holding his head high, Sai allowed Phoenix to lead him to the center of the square and the stake with its pile of wood._

_Sai and Phoenix were separated at the ring of guards surrounding the platform. The scent of gunpowder and smoke from the torches burned the back of Sai's throat, a mere trifle in light of what was yet to come. Two guards led him onto the platform, making him stand with his back to the pole. They bound him tightly to the pole with the highest quality of rope, soaked in water so that they wouldn't burn and yield a chance of escape. The tears that he had been holding back so diligently soon started to spill and the guards disembarked from his pillory and signaled for the flames to be set. Three other guards from around the ring approached bearing torches, kneeling slowly to light the driest tinder near the ground._

_As soon as the flames had caught, they stepped away quickly, not wanting to get caught up in the hungry blaze. The flames licked rapidly up the side of the monumental pile of wood, hissing and crackling in a most disturbing manner. The hat was beginning to become unbearable, causing sweat to pour down Sai's body. The fire seem almost alive, almost eager to consume him, body and soul until there was nothing left but his quickly cooling ashes, easily scattered by an unforgiving wind._

_Suddenly the flames surged upward, hungry to reach their prize. Sai tried to maintain his calm demeanor, tried to suppress the cries of fear and pain. The edges of his kimono caught the fine silk burning almost faster than the tinder first had. It was too much, too hot, too painful. Sai screamed, the hot air and smoke surging down his throat, parching it. The crowd cheered, at least, some of them did. Phoenix turned away, tears glistening like crystals in the corners of her eyes. The smell of smoke, fire, and something sickeningly similar to that of roast pork burned her nose as she hurried away._

"_Forgive me, Sai," she whispered, pressing her way through the convivial crowd. Sai did not hear this plea, as the flames hungrily ate away at his body, scorching his skin and stewing his insides. There was one last terrible, scream of excruciating pain before his lungs popped and the consumed his heart, burning it into a sticky, quickly blackening mass just like the rest of him._

(?)(?)Chicago IL, 2006(?)(?)

Kyoko nudges her sister in the side.

"Ryuu, wake up," she hisses out of the corner of her mouth. Ryuu stirs, picking her head up off of her desk. She looks at the clock, then at her sister.

"Miss Ryuu, please explain the commandment 'You will not bear false witness', hopefully with a little less vulgarity than your sister."

"You will not bear false witness means that you will not accuse someone of something they didn't do, like saying that someone is a traitor and then burning them at the stake for it. It is also why you swear on the Bible in court."

"Very good…examples Miss Ryuu. That's it for class today, and don't forget your homework." Kyoko is out of the classroom by the word it and Ryuu isn't far behind. They head to their lockers to get their books for their next class.

"So, Ryu, we still on for the garden after school?"

"Yeah, definitely. What was the homework she was talking about?"

"I dunno, something about the Ten Commandments, ask someone who actually pays attention in that class."

"Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to. Ko, listen, I had this really weird dream last night, and again in class." Something in Kyoko's bag lets off a shrill beep, followed by the music from 'The Nightmare before Christmas'.

"Hold on a sec, Ryu." Kyoko fishes out her phone, a slim Japanese number that she had gotten on the black market.

"Speak…uh-huh…uh-huh…uh-huh…yeah, no problem, bye." The phone is snapped shut. "Hey, Ryu, tell the teachers that I wasn't feeling good and went home okay, Asa is having a crisis again. Meet you at the garden after school. Bye!" Kyoko runs off to who knows where, leaving her sister a little bewildered. The bell brings her out of her daze and sends her scurrying off to her next class.

Hey, another joint story…unless I haven't posted any other joint stories in which case I need to get my butt in gear. I apologize for the inevitable issues with tense changes and other semantics, since I am not used to writing in present progressive tense. The point of view changes will be sporadic, just as a future warning. As a note, most of this story is Phoenix's writing, I'm just her beta. As another note, there will be a companion fic that is mostly my writing with a few additions on her part. I hope you enjoyed the prologue, and I hope you'll stick around to read more, maybe leave a review or two (please? I don't get very many). Feel free to check out my other stories, though some of them aren't that good and read Phoenix's other story 'Stories from an Ancient Past'


	2. On the Subject of Ghosts

Title: A Forgotten Story

Author: Shadow, Phoenix

Chapter: On the Subject of Ghosts

Rating: T

Warnings: swearing, violence, dark humour, atheistic tendencies

Disclaimer: Sees the prowling lawyers and whips out a sniper rifle.

Notes: italics are thoughts, memories, flashbacks, etc.

-----Chicago 2006-----

Ryuu hurries off to gym, still wondering why her sister is skipping school. Again.

_She did say something about Asa…I hope that she's alright. I shouldn't worry though, it's none of my business what Ko does on her spare time…okay not spare time but you get the picture. Wait…who am I talking to? I'm going crazy; Ko must be rubbing off on me._

"Hel-lo, Earth to Ryuu. Anybody home?" A girl with waist-length black hair is waving her hand in front of Ryuu's face. Ryuu blinks.

"Huh?" The other girl giggles.

"Silly Ryuu. Hurry up and get dressed or you'll be late." Ryuu hurriedly dresses.

"Hikari, wait up!" They both run out of the locker room and line up for roll. Hikari is next to Ryuu on one side, while a girl with red hair is on her other side.

"Where's Ko?" Hisses the girl with red hair, leaning towards Ryuu conspiratorially.

"I don't know, Kaelyn. She just ran off during the passing period." A boy with white hair who is standing on Kaelyn's other side speaks up.

"I bet you ten bucks she's with her boyfriend."

"Huh?"

"Mr. Valentine."

"What? When did that happen?"

"Haven't you seen how both of them are always late to ninth period math, but they show up at nearly the same time."

"Touzoku, care to share what is so much more important than roll call?"

"Just a conspiracy theory, Mr. Strife."

"Hn. Ryuu, where's your sister?"  
"She wasn't feeling well so she went home."

"Hm, she seems to be feeling unwell quite often, is she okay?" Ryuu nods quickly. Mr. Strife looks at her to see if she is lying before yelling. "Two teams everyone; we're playing dodge ball today."

Everyone freaks out and runs to one side of the gym or the other. Kaelyn, Touzoku, Ryuu, and Hikari ended up on the same team, with the addition of two blond boys, another that had very oddly colored hair, and one that had a Brooklyn accent.

"Touzoku, what's the battle plan?" One of the blond boys asked.

"Wonderful question Malik. You, Hikari, Ryuu, and Kaelyn can run the front line. Pick up the balls and run them back to Atemu, Marikku, Jou, and I who will then launch them at the enemy." The other seven nod and Ryuu, Hikari, Kaelyn and Malik head to the half court line where four volleyballs lie innocently in a row. A brown haired girl and a short boy who looks similar to Atemu are standing opposite them. Touzoku, Atemu, Jou, and Marikku take up their positions nearer the wall. Along the other wall stand a second whitnette, a short blond girl, a boy with a dice earring, a brunette with a rather pencil shaped hairstyle, a short boy with long black hair, and an indifferent tall brunette. Mr. Strife blows the whistle to signal the start of the game. All Hell breaks loose and for the next hour the students are fighting for their very lives. The indifferent brunette just stands against the back wall letting the rest of his team battle it out with Touzoku's well-organized attack force. So far his team only has three frozen members who they are effectively using as human shields. Just as Touzoku is about to launch a volleyball at the head of Atemu's look-alike, the game ends.

Three short whistle bursts and all the balls drop to the ground. A quick tally shows that Touzoku's team is the winner. A round of hive-fives is exchanged and everyone heads to the locker rooms to change. They winning team meets up outside the locker rooms and heads to music.

"Man, we sure kicked their asses!" Marikku yells rather loudly as they walk towards the theater. Ryuu, Hikari, and Kaelyn roll their eyes at his immaturity. Touzoku nods in agreement and turns to Ryuu.

"Hey, did Ko tell you anything about where she was going?" He sounds fairly uninterested. Ryuu shrugs.

"She said something about going to see Asa because she was having a crisis or something like that." The group of friends arrives at the theater and enters. Their teacher practically bounces over to them to write them down as present and accounted for.

"Hello Ms. Yuffie." They say in turns. She giggles and bounces away to write on the board. It receives a list of the songs that they are going to be singing for the Parents Day concert. The boys groan through the entire class, complaining about it being required to graduate. After what seems like an eternity, the bell rings and the octet heads to history. Ryuu and Hikari are especially psyched for this class because they are currently studying Feudal Japan, a key part in their favorite anime.

"I love this unit," says Ryuu, practically skipping down the hallway arm in arm with Hikari who is voicing similar praise. Touzoku, Marikku, and Atemu disappear from their group, leaving the more rule abiding Malik and Jou with the three energetic girls. The teacher looks up briefly as they enter, noting the obvious lack of the three troublemakers and writing it down in his book. Once the rest of the class settles down, the teacher stands up and makes his announcement.

"Please bring your signed permission forms tomorrow and meet in front of the main office at eight am. We will be leaving at eight-fifteen sharp, so don't be late. Turn to page one hundred and fifty-three. Ryuu, read the first section." The teacher picks a piece of chalk and begins writing on the board. Ryuu clears her throat and begins reading.

"The Heian era of Japan was characterized by the opulent Japanese society and a strict closed-country policy known as the Sakoku policy…"

The class ends and Ryuu, Hikari, Kaelyn, Malik, and Jou are rejoined by Atemu, Marikku, and Touzoku for lunch. The octet heads to the outdoor courtyard to eat their lunches.

"I can't wait for the field trip tomorrow," says Kaelyn, taking a bite out of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"I know, it's going to be so much fun!" Ryuu says, realizing that she still doesn't know what her homework for Bible studies is. "Kae, what's the homework for Bible studies?"

"The class from hell?" Ryuu nods. "Pick a commandment and explain it. 500 words or less"

"Thanks!" Malik, Marikku, Atemu, Touzoku, Jou, and Hikari are already done eating.

"Anyone up for a game of soccer?" Jou asks. A chorus of affirmatives greets this suggestion and everyone but Kaelyn and Ryuu go to play.

"Hey, Ryuu, I just remembered that I have to make up my math test. Wish me luck; Mr. Valentine's tests are almost as scary as he is!"

"Good Luck!" Kaelyn runs off towards the doors, and Ryuu is left alone. She pulls out her sketchbook and returns to inking a beautiful pencil drawing of her favorite character from Hikaru no Go, Fujiwarano Sai. The lunch bell rings just as she finishes putting her supplies back in her bag. She then heads off to her art class, thinking of drawing a sketch of her sister's favorite character, who always reminds her of a palm tree. Her art teacher allows them time to finish their assignments, which are due the day after the next. Most of the class is chatting amiably while they work and Ryuu and Kaelyn are no exception.

"I'm doomed!" Kaelyn dramatically let's her head fall on the table.

"The test couldn't have been that bad, could it?"

"You have no idea, and there's another on ninth period. Tell my parents that I was killed in the call of duty, and that I died bravely." Ryuu snickers.

"You should have joined theater with Ko."

"I'll take that as a compliment," sniffs Kaelyn, turning back to her sketching. Ryuu giggles and returns to her sketching as well. They later meet up with their friends and head to science lecture. The board holds the topic of conversation for the day.

"The Existence of Ghosts?" They all proclaim in unison. Kaelyn points to a table to the far left of the podium, and one row back. They go over and sit around it to begin their discussion.

"I definitely believe in ghosts." Kaelyn says boldly. Touzoku and Atemu nod in agreement. Ryuu thinks for a moment about her odd dreams and nods as well.

"Ah…believing is all well and good, but understanding is another thing entirely. You say that you believe in ghosts, but what are ghosts?" Marikku is always the one to ask complicated and confusing questions.

"The spirits of the deceased," ventures Hikari hesitantly. Marikku snorts.

"But then they are spirits, not ghosts." Hikari glares at him and thinks.

"Obviously they are the ties to the earth that one cannot give up in death. Revenge, is a prime example, as is true love." It is Atemu's turn to snort.

"Have you been reading you brother's romance novels again, Touzoku?" The accused glares at Atemu, who shaking with silent, contained laughter.

"Shut up, I couldn't think of any other examples."

"I agree with Touzoku." The slightly saner of the two Egyptian blondes looks at his counterpart, connoisseur of all things mythical.

"Good enough for me." Jou's Brooklyn accent sticks out among all the Japanese and Egyptian ones. They continue to argue the finer points of ghosts for the remaining class time. Somehow when the bell rings, Touzoku is vehemently defending the role of vampires in popular literature.

"They are not always portrayed as walking sex-gods, and if they are, it's for a good reason. The idea of taking blood by biting into the jugular vein is rather intimate if you think about it." Touzoku's eyes are snapping at anyone who contradicts him. For the most part it is Marikku.

"How so?" Touzoku rolls his eyes and darts forward, bringing his lips within millimeters of Marikku's exposed neck. Marikku's breath catches in his throat.

"That's how. Stop asking stupid questions." Touzoku's tan skin is slightly pink across his cheeks, but none in the group notice, or so he thinks.

"Oh, Touzoku's blush-ing," says a familiar voice.

"I am not Ko." Kyoko is now walking alongside her friends as they walk to writing class. Once they are in class the teacher tells them that it is free writing today. The scratching of pens against paper and the clicking and whirring of computers interspersed with the occasional silent curse is all that can be heard. Kyoko is scribbling furiously in a beat up notebook, not even looking up. Atemu is tapping his pen against the page, thinking hard about what to write. Jou is making a grocery list and almost drooling all over his paper. Bakura is ranting; a small pile of papers is already building next to him. Ryuu is writing about her dreams. Hikari is writing about Hikaru no Go. Marikku is writing about ghosts, and not about how weird it felt to have Touzoku that close to him, his warm breath gently caressing his neck. He isn't damn it! Malik is writing the same word over and over, none to surreptitiously reading over his twin's shoulder. The word is ego if you are wondering. Kaelyn is not actually writing about anything, she is in fact doodling chibi Sai all over a page and making him say things. There is a knock on the door about half way through the period. The teacher opens it and reveals a man with dark hair and red eyes.

"How can I help you Vincent?"

"I would like to speak with a few of your students, if that is possible, Red." Red nods and Vincent walks over to the table where our protagonists are seated. He taps Marikku, Malik, Touzoku, Kaelyn, and Kyoko on the shoulders and tilts his head towards the hall. They follow him out and towards his office.

"You'll need to make up the test tomorrow, but this shouldn't take that long." A piece of paper is sitting on his desk and the five students are reading it. The bell rings, which sends Jou, Atemu, Hikari, and Ryuu off to math class, though they don't need to hurry. When they get there, the teacher is not at his desk.

"Of course Mr. Valentine isn't here, he's always late."

"He's probably talking to that girl, what's her name?"

"Kyoko, I bet that's what he's doing."

"Well, maybe not talking."

"He's probably sucking her blood; I heard that he was a vampire."

"Oh. I heard that too."

"That's why he always wears that coat when he goes outside."

"I like that coat."

"I think it would cool if he were a vampire."

"I don't. We probably look like dinner to him."

"There are the freaks."

"They're so weird."

"I can't believe it, Kyoko's not the only one who's gone."

"Yeah, that one with the red hair is gone too."

"And those two Egyptian freaks."

"And Touzoku as well."

"I heard that he was a vampire too."

"Now you're just spreading rumors."

"Not, it's true. Didn't you notice? Both he and Mr. Valentine have red eyes, the color of blood."

"That must be a determining factor of vampires."

"And he's always wearing that trench coat too."

"I told you so"

As always, the math classroom is almost literally writhing with rumors. This isn't surprising since the gossip queens of the school, Mai, Tea, and Serenity, are in this class. What is surprising is the lack of modesty when the objects of their gossiping enter the room. After about fifteen minutes of this same strand of gossip, the door slams open and Malik, Marikku, and Touzoku enter the room.

"You see, I told you his eyes were red."

"That's so creepy."

"I just remember that I saw Touzoku and Marikku in the hall together during the passing period between seventh and eighth period."

"There's nothing unusual about that."

"Let me finish. And they were standing very close together, and Bakura looked like he was going to bite Marikku, if how close his mouth was to Marikku's neck was any indication."

"Oh. My. God. You can't be serious, he really is a vampire!"

"Jeez, calm down Serenity."

"How can you be calm about this, there's a vampire…" Her concerns are cut off as an out of breath Kaelyn and an equally out of breath and ruffled Kyoko run into the class room.

"Oh, I wonder where she was."

"Who?"

"Who else? Kyoko."

"Hm… she is particularly ruffled, far too much so to have gotten that way by running here." They turn around from their gossiping to find themselves face to face with a very calm Kyoko. Her dark eyes were revealed up close to be black with a thin violet ring, their pupils a dark silver. These eyes are staring directly into the eyes of the queen bee, Tea.

"If you don't shut your fat mouth and get a fucking life, I'll personally see to it that your face gets rearranged." Her tone is perfectly even and just quite enough to be considered a hiss. The entire room is silent, so this threat is heard by all. Tea draws herself up to her full height, which is five inches taller than Kyoko.

"I'd like to see you try. My father…" Tea falls backwards onto the table she was sitting at. Kyoko had punched her.

"I told you to shut up, bitch." Kyoko then turns on her heel and sits next to her cohorts.

"How dare she! When my father hears about this, when the principal…" Kyoko turns her head calmly to look at Tea, who quickly shuts up. The class bursts into hushed conversations.

"Way to go, Ko!"

"That slut needed to be knocked down a few notches."

"My pleasure. Anything for the betterment of society." Ryuu snorts at this and sticks her nose in the math book to study. The conversations continue until Mr. Valentine enters the room and drops a large stack of papers on the desk.

"Sorry that I am so late, and due to this, the test is postponed until tomorrow." A chorus of cheers greets this proclamation. He glances at the clock. "And since there are only ten minutes left, go." Everyone rushes out of the room except for our protagonists and a gaggle of four chattering girls. This is the anime club, small and tentative as it may be. Mr. Valentine stands and tosses the keys to Kyoko who catches them without looking up and leaves. Kyoko gets up and unlocks the cabinet in the back of the room. She takes out the four laptops, the root beer, the popcorn, the projector, the DVD player, and the DVDs. She then locks the cabinet and lugs the projector over to the stand in the middle of the room. The DVD player soon joins it. She then kicks Touzoku out of his chair.

"Go set up the movie. Ryuu and I are going to go make the popcorn." Touzoku grumbles and goes to set up the projector. Marikku watches, and is definitely not staring at Touzoku's ass when he bends over. Kyoko looks at them over her shoulder as she leaves and snorts.

"What's so funny?" Ryuu asks, looking behind her.

"Those two are so oblivious; it's taken me so long to make them aware of their feelings." Ryuu groans.

"Ko, I thought you said that you weren't going to play matchmaker anymore." Kyoko unlocks the teacher's lounge.

"I'm not playing matchmaker, I'm just speeding up the process a bit. It was Asa's idea anyway." They stand in the teacher's lounge and microwave the popcorn. When they return to the room, Mr. Valentine is back and the movie is set up. Today they are watching a few episodes of Hikaru no Go. The other four girls were big Sai fan girls, so they were especially excited. Ryuu and Kyoko are setting down the popcorn when Mr. Valentine comes and asks for his keys back. Kyoko holds up a finger and sets down the last couple bags of popcorn before spitting the key ring out onto her hand and wiping it on her skirt. She hands it to Mr. Valentine who rolls his eyes.

"Couldn't you carry it some other way?"

"These skirts don't have pockets, and I can only assume that you don't want me to stick them in my shirt."

"Point taken."

"Shut up, it's starting."

So, here's the next chapter of A Forgotten Story. Hope you liked it. Please leave a review? Please? Puppy dog pouts I'll give you a cookie. Leave a review or I won't post the next chapter, which is sitting on my hard drive right now. I'm not asking for much, just one review. ONE!

In case you were wondering, here are the characters used so far:

Ryou Bakura from Yu-Gi-Oh

Yami no Bakura from Yu-Gi-Oh

Malik Ishtar from Yu-Gi-Oh

Yami no Malik from Yu-Gi-Oh

Yugi Motou from Yu-Gi-Oh

Yami no Yugi from Yu-Gi-Oh

Seto Kaiba from Yu-Gi-Oh

Mokuba Kaiba from Yu-Gi-Oh

Serenity Wheeler from Yu-Gi-Oh

Jounuchi Wheeler from Yu-Gi-Oh

Duke Delvin from Yu-Gi-Oh

Rebecca Hawkins from Yu-Gi-Oh

Tristain Taylor from Yu-Gi-Oh

Mai Valentine from Yu-Gi-Oh

Lady Yunalesca from Final Fantasy X

Cloud Strife from Final Fansty VII

Squall Leonheart from Final Fantasy VIII

Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII

Red XIII from Final Fantasy VII

Vincet Valentine from Final Fantasy VII

Yuffie Kisaragi from Final Fantasy VII

Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII

Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy VII


	3. First Encounter

Title: A Forgotten Story

Author: Shadow, Phoenix

Chapter: First Encounter 

Rating: T

Warnings: swearing, violence, dark humour, atheistic tendencies

Disclaimer: Beats off the rabid lawyers wit ha two-by-four with a dozen rusty nails in it. "Of course I own it, who doesn't?"

Notes: italics are thoughts, memories, flashbacks, etc. Ryuu and Fenikkusu are the same person. 

Ryuu keeps looking at her sister, trying to figure out why she had been gone for most of the day. They are walking to their favorite place, the Japanese Garden, near the Museum of Science and Industry. While they walked in silence, Ryuu reflects on the odd dreams she's been having lately.

_This is so weird. It's almost if these dreams aren't really dreams. It doesn't feel like I'm dreaming, it feels like I'm remembering._

"Ryuu! Kyoko! Wait for me!" Kaelyn yells, running to catch up with the two sisters. Ryuu smiles.

"Hurry up, Ko and I have to get home by seven o'clock tonight." Kaelyn catches up and sticks her tongue out at Ryuu.

"It's not my fault that your mother is so strict."

"Hey Kaelyn, Vincent told me that he wants to talk to you." Kaelyn winces when Kyoko says this. Ryuu cocks her head to the side.

"Who?"

"Valentine-sensei"

"Oh, you're on a first name basis with him? Maybe 'Kura was telling the truth about you two then."

"HE SAID WHAT! I'll kill that ungrateful rat. Just you wait and see." Ryuu and Kaelyn chuckle at Kyoko's violent reaction and subsequent plotting. They enter the gates of the garden and walk over the first bridge.

"So, meet up in fifteen minutes?" Kaelyn enquires.

"Yeah, by the willow," replies Ryuu, already wandering towards it. Kaelyn and Kyoko head off towards the koi pond. Ryuu settles herself into a hollow between two roots of the willow. The wind blows the gentle scent of sakura blossoms across the rippled water. Her eyes droop closed and she drifts into a light slumber.

-----Japan 1721-----

_The running sensation was very real for Lady Fenikkusu as she raced towards the burial grounds for the noble families. Clutched in her right hand was a jade pendant of a phoenix encircling a goban and go stones._

_"Fujiwara no Fenikkusu get back here!" The angered shouts followed her as she ran through the garden._

_'No, you no longer have my trust Kuraiakki' Fenikkusu thought to herself._

_The jade pendant she held was more than just a symbol of status and power; it was Fenikkusu's connection to her adopted brother Sai who had been burned alive two days before. It had been one of the pair that showed they would always watch out for each other. The second piece being the one that Fenikkusu now wore at her waist._

_As Fenikkusu vaulted the low wall of the burial ground an arrow flew over her head._

_"Trust Kuraiakki to use violence to get what he wants" Fenikkusu muttered heading for a willow shading a small lake. "He doesn't even care who he hurts as long as it's not him._

_For Fenikkusu this took her back to the previous day when she had seen Kuraiakki wearing Sai's pendant and then this morning when he had showed it to her_

_"This is pretty isn't it? To bad it belonged to a traitor"_

_That had been so insulting that she had grabbed the pendant and started running. Reaching the willow she extracted a small bottle of clear liquid from her sleeve. A gentle breeze ruffled the leaves of the tree as a very familiar purple haired spirit appeared before her. Behind her Kuraiakki and the armed guards with him halted._

_"Our time in this world has ended, we must return to the world of the spirits," said Fenikkusu addressing Kuraiakki and his troops." This world has to much pain and sorrow for us to live here any longer."_

_"I know happiness and prosperity will be with us when we return," said_

_Sai, "We've been apart for too long."_

_"And you'll stay apart forever" Kuraiakki shouted, motioning for the guards to aim at the pair._

_"Kuraiakki, you lost my trust and decided my fate when you killed Sai," said Fenikkusu. "My fate is to always be with Sai, in life and death."_

_"Guards seize them!" Shouted Kuraiakki who had just noticed the bottle in Fenikkusu's hand. Fenikkusu looked back once more to see Kuraiakki who had stopped dead in his tracks. For one moment Fenikkusu had looked at him with the same sad, hurt eyes that Sai had the day he died._

_"Get that bottle!" Shouted Kuraiakki, but it was too late, Fenikkusu had already drunk the small amount of liquid the bottle contained._

_The wind picked up the moment the bottle was empty, swirling around Fenikkusu and Sai as Fenikkusu steeped forward to take Sai's hand. Slowly the color in Fenikkusu's hair, skin, and clothes began to fade until it was only a shadow of what it had once been. Fenikkusu and Sai gave Kuraiakki one last look before disappearing into thin air._

-----Chicago 2007-----

"Fenikkusu?"

Ryuu opens her eyes as a gentle breeze blows across the lake, and wraps itself around her in the imitation of the silken touch of kimono sleeves. For Ryuu only one Spirit would ever approach her like that. Smiling to herself Ryuu speaks.

"It's good to have you back Sai." The mist on her shoulders vanishes, to be replaced by a familiar purple haired spirit wearing white.

"Tis true, I've been waiting for you." says Sai sitting down next to her. The pair are silent for a few minutes until someone calls Ryuu's name.

"Hey Ryuu!" A girl with waist length black hair is approaching them from the gravel path.

"Hikari, I wasn't expecting to see you here today" says Ryuu as Hikari sits down on her other side.

"The same goes for you Ryuu, where are Kyoko and Kaelyn?" asks Hikari looking around.

"They're somewhere, we decided to have some quiet time for homework or relaxing" explains Ryuu. "I would be working on my art homework, but I finished it during lunch." Ryuu pulls out a sketchbook and opens it to show a pen and ink drawing of Fujiwara no Sai.

"Fenikkusu, I didn't realize your ability had grown while I was away," says Sai, "You captured my eyes perfectly. Are you positive that I am not dreaming?"

"Tis no dream Sai," says Ryuu smiling.

"Sai?" asks Hikari poking her head around Ryuu to get a good look at the hauntingly familiar figure beside her. Ryuu smiles remembering the first time she and Hikari had met at an anime convention where they chatted about their mutual obsession, Hikaru no Go. They later found out that they attended the same school, and were even in the exact same art class.

Ryuu was snapped out of her thoughts by Sai suddenly pouncing on, and then hiding behind her.

"Fenikkusu, her eyes are scary," whimpers Sai staring at Kyoko. Ryuu quirks an eyebrow at Sai. Kyoko laughs humorlessly

"It's ok, she's friendly. Though I do have to agree with you on that point, black eyes are a little bit freaky looking. Her name is Kyoko, the one with black hair is Hikari, and the one with red hair is Kaelyn."

"Hey Ryuu, what time is it?" asks Kaelyn, "I forgot my watch."

"It's about quarter to seven. Oh shoot, Kyoko, we have to go!" Shouts Ryuu shoving her stuff in her bag, grabbing Kyoko's hand and running for the gate.

"See you in school tomorrow, don't forget about the field trip tomorrow!" Yelled Ryuu as she and Kyoko disappeared through the gate with Sai not far behind.

Upon arriving home Kyoko and Ryuu hastily get changed and come back down stairs to eat dinner with their parents and the guest that they had neglected to name. Only minutes after they come downstairs, the doorbell rings.

"Ko, be a dear and answer that for me?" Their mother yells from the kitchen, which is emitting the most heavenly scent of chicken curry and pork buns. Ko sighs and gets up from the couch to answer the door. She opens it and nearly yelps from surprise.

"Vincent?" She hisses, opening the door a little bit wider. He winks at her.

"Good evening, Kyoko."

"Good evening, Valentine-sensei. Please come in, and may I take your coat?" Vincent hands her his coat and she goes to hang it up. Vincent has made his way into the kitchen and is talking to Mrs. Yoshida. Ryuu walks up to Kyoko and taps her on the shoulder.

"Was that your boyfriend?"

"Huh? I don't have a boyfr…wait a minute. Get back here you little rat and say that to my face!" Kyoko leaps over the couch and starts chasing her sister around the house. Mrs. Yoshida sticks her head out of the kitchen.

"Kyoko, Ryuu, please behave yourselves, and could one of you come and set the table for me?" Kyoko points to Ryuu and slips into the hallway. She notices a black envelope with a stylized crimson double cross lying on the ground.

"Vincent, I'm going to kill you." She picks up the envelope and slips it down the front of her pants, hoping that it won't slide out. Dinner passes without a hitch and Vincent leaves shortly before nine o'clock. Mr. Yoshida sends the girls up to bed and then he and his wife start to watch a movie. Meanwhile Ryuu and Kyoko are upstairs getting ready for bed.

"Ko, I was just kidding, stop sulking." Ryuu is smiling, teasing her sister about their rather odd math teacher. Kyoko rolls her eyes and pulls on a pair of black basketball shorts and a purple soccer jersey. Ryuu takes this as an 'apology accepted'. She pulls on a night dress made out of satin patterned with a motif of dragons. Sai is sitting in a corner of the room, staring at a wall.

"Can I turn around now?" Ryuu chuckles, and nods, before remembering that he can't see her.

"Yeah." She says this while yawning widely. Kyoko yawns widely climbs up to the top bunk, taking a clipboard with her. Sai yawns and sits on Ryuu's bed. Ryuu yawns again, as does Kyoko.

"Stop yawning damn it! Don't you know that it's contagious?" Kyoko says, leaning down from the top bunk and yawning. Ryuu chuckles and turns to Sai. Just then, the envelope that Kyoko had found fell from the top bunk to the floor in front of her. Ryuu picks it up and Sai backs away.

"Don't touch that! The CROSS guards will come!" Sai is scrunched up at the end of Ryuu's bed farthest away from her. Kyoko curses softly and leans over the bunk again.

"How much do you know about spirits?"

"Um…I know that they exist, and that there is a place called the spirit realm."

"I have a lot of explaining to do then. Get ready for a long story, but first, pass me that letter." Ryuu looks at Kyoko with confusion before handing her the envelope.

"Okay. This world, the one that we know, is only one of many, but they can be classified into three realms: the Mundane Realm, or the Outlands; the Spirit Realm, or the Midlands; and the Fictional Realm, or the Flatlands. Our world is the Mundane Realm, the worlds in any work of fiction are contained in the Fictional Realm. The barrier between these two realms is the Spirit Realm, where the spirits of the dead and the erased go. Does this make sense so far?" Ryuu nods.

"These three realms are extremely different, so their denizens are not allowed to move freely between them. That is where the CROSS organization comes in. The CROSS organization keeps the worlds in balance with the help of two types of people: the CROSS guards who regulate the flow between realms, and the spirit guardians who protect those who have legally switched through the realms. You are a spirit guardian, and Sai is your spirit."  
"That makes sense. I didn't get a chance to tell you, but I've been having these weird dreams, they were almost like memories. Sai was in they, and I really do remember him now. So, I'm supposed to guard him, but from what?"

"Those that wish to bridge the gap between the worlds and harness the energy of fiction. This is an incredibly hard job for one person to fulfill, so spirit guardians always work in pairs. Your partner is Hikari, whose previous partner was her brother."

"You said previous, what happened to him?"

"He broke the strongest taboo of the spirit guardian's code. He tried to kill his charge, and his sister." Ryuu gasps, covering her mouth with her hand.

"How do you know all this? Are you a spirit guardian too?"

"No. I am a CROSS guard. I am part of division 13, which specializes in the control of unpublished fiction."

"Does that mean that you can actually go into the stories?"

"Yes, I have to make sure that no one is messing around with the unpublished works, because they are more easily altered than the published works. We mostly regulate fan fiction, which is a large portion of the unpublished work, more than half at least. That's why I keep disappearing all the time. The Captain has us working like dogs."

"Who's the captain?"

"You know him. He was just here."

"Valentine-sensei!"

"Yep! That's why I'm on a first name basis with him."

"You said that you were part of a team, who else is on that team?"

"The team consists of Kaelyn Yi, Touzoku Bakura, the Ishtar twins, and me plus Vincent. I guess that you could say that we are the reason that the fictional world is relatively safe from rampant Mary-Sues, Gary-Stus, and other riff-raff like that."

"Wow…that is really cool. What's that letter about though?"

"It's about my next assignment. I'll tell you about it later, but now we should get some sleep."

"Okay. Just out of curiosity, since all your other friends seem to be involved with the CROSS association, does Asa have anything to do with it?"

"Yep, she's our resident sandman. She helps the spirit guardians remember their past charges and awaken their powers. She's the one who gave you those dreams."

"That's weird. Goodnight."

"Night." There is a moment of silence before Sai speaks up.

"Fenikkusu, what is this field trip you speak of?"

"It's an exhibit on Japanese history, you'll see tomorrow." Sai nods, still a little bit confused. "And Sai?"

"Yes?"

"Call me Ryuu"

Well, that's chapter three for you. I hope nothing is too confusing, but if it is, asks and I'll try to explain it better. In case you were interested here are the character appearances so far:

Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy VII

Yami Bakura from Yu-Gi-Oh

Malik Ishtar from Yu-Gi-Oh

Yami Malik from Yu-Gi-Oh

Fujiwara no Sai from Hikaru no Go

Thanks for reading, and please leave a review. I might draw a picture of your choice for you if you do. I continue to shamelessly bribe you until Phoenix comes and drags me away.


	4. Miscief, Memories, and Museums

Title: A Forgotten Story

Title: A Forgotten Story

Author: Shadow, Phoenix

Chapter: Memories and Mischief at the Museum

Rating: T

Warnings: swearing, violence, dark humour, atheistic tendencies

Disclaimer: "Damn you lawyers! Cleon love child attack force go!"

Notes: italics are thoughts, memories, flashbacks, etc.

--line break--

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and all is quite in the Yoshida household. Suddenly a tinny, annoying version of 'Ready, Steady, Go' bursts from a deformed, sparking black alarm clock. This is ended quickly by the forces of gravity and a solid glass paper weight the size of a cantaloupe.

"Blah…Kyo, don't drop things on the alarm clock. That's the sixth one this month." A grunt is the only reply from the top bunk. Sai wanders over towards the now permanently busted alarm clock and examines it.

"What is this 'alarm clock' that you speak of?" Ryuu sits up, still slightly groggy from sleep.

"Erm…" Kyoko rolls around in the top bunk and a furry snake print pillow falls down.  
"It's an annoying little box that beeps and tells you what time it is…or it did." There is a thump as Kyoko falls backwards into her comforter and tries to go back to sleep. Sai nods sagely and turns to look at Ryuu oddly.

"Fenikkusu, why is your hair purple?" Ryuu sighs and throws of her blanket, setting her feet on the floor.

"Sai, my name in the past was Fenikkusu, but in these times, my name is Ryu…wait, what did you say?!" Sai backs away from her slightly when she yells this.

"Why is your hair purple?" Ryuu grabs a small hunk of hair and examines her previously chocolate locks. Her eyes widen dramatically before she practically shrieks.

"Gah! I have purple hair!" She runs around the room screaming, causing Sai to hide under the bed with fear and surprise. This is what could possibly a fatal mistake, for under the bed resides Lucifer, Kyoko's pet black leopard. Sai screams like a three year-old girl and leaps out from under the bed, nearly tipping it over in the process, and causing a still semi-unconscious Kyoko to fall off the top bunk.

"Augh, we're late!" Ryuu trips over Kyoko in her mad dash to find a clean uniform and brush her hair. Half laying on top of her adopted sister, she turns to look at her. "When did you get down here? And how?" Kyoko elbows Ryuu off of her and rolls over, narrowly missing bonking her head on the paperweight that she had used to destroy the alarm clock. She sticks her arm under the bed and a low, rumbling purr is heard.

"Sai almost tipped over the bed, so I fell. Morning Lulu-bell." Ryuu gets up and rummages through her drawers in search of a clean shirt. Kyoko kicks her crap aside in search of the skirt that she had worn yesterday and a button-up that isn't covered in Lucifer's fur. Ryuu accidentally bumps into Sai as she digs around in a drawer for some clean socks.

"Sorry, didn't mean to bump into you. Turn around so we can change." Sai complies, facing into a corner while Ryuu and Kyoko change quickly. Ryuu brushes her hair, braiding it neatly, while Kyoko sprays on her favorite body splash from Bath and Body works to mask the scent of Lucifer. They grab their bags and run downstairs, Sai floating quickly behind them. Ryuu grabs a box of breakfast bars and Kyoko grabs her keys. Ryuu looks at her in horror.

"We already missed the bus to the museum, and it's too far to run. I promise I won't kill us," Kyoko says, waiting until Ryuu is out the door before muttering. "Much." Ryuu pushes Sai into the back seat of Kyoko's red convertible and sits in the passenger side herself. Kyoko slips into the driver's seat and starts the car, buckling up and peeling out of the driveway simultaneously. Ryuu grips the door so tightly that her knuckles turn white in an effort to stay seated in the car.

"Feni-Ryuu, what is this strange contraption?"

"It's like a horseless carriage," Ryuu says, eyes shut tightly. She riffles through the box in her hands. "Kyo, there's only one cereal bar left, do you want to split it?"

"Sure." Kyoko swerves left around a truck and turns right sharply. Ryuu hands her half of the bar without opening her eyes.

"What is that odd metal horse?"

"Motorcycle," Ryuu answers without looking.

"The large yellow boat with wheels?"

"School bus"

"The one belching black smoke?" Ryuu opens her eyes to look where Sai is pointing.

"A truck. Oh my god! Kyo, look out for the car!" Kyoko accelerates into a right turn that brings her into the parking lot. Ryuu gets out of the car on shaky legs and takes a couple deep breaths. Sai floats over to her and expresses his concern for her health while Kyoko takes out a slim gadget and flicks around several pieces, flipping it open. She hits the first speed dial and then the call button. It rings twice before the other person picks it up.

"Hey Vincent, can you tell Leon that Ryuu and I are already at the museum?" A brief reply muffled by the connection is heard. "Thanks, bye." She flips the phone shut and walks over to her sister, dragging her in to the museum. They head to the café for a decent breakfast. Ryuu goes off to get food while Kyoko and Sai go to find a table. She is promptly met with a deluge of questions from the curious spirit.

"What is that enormous grey thing with the long teeth?"

"An Elephant."

"Why are all of the animals not moving?"

"They're dead."

"Why?"

"Because I felt like it." Ryuu showed up just as Sai was about to ask another question.

"Is Sai bothering you?" Kyoko glares at Ryuu, who merely responds by depositing a chocolate muffin in front of her grouchy sister. She happily munches on her blueberry muffin. Sai looks around like a wide eyed child at all the wonderful things in the main hall of the museum, though he refrains from asking Kyoko any more questions, having suddenly remember that she is a CROSS guard and can kill him with a foam packing peanut if she is so inclined. Almost before Kyoko and Ryuu finish their muffins, a large group of rowdy teens come up the stairs near the café. They pick up their bags and walk over to the group and to a tall scarred brunet in particular. Ryuu stepped in front of her sister tactfully and greeted the man.

"I'm sorry that we missed the bus, Mr. Leonhart, our alarm clock is a little worse for wear." The man looks at her apathetically.

"That's okay; you're both in Mr. Valentine's group." Ryuu nods her thanks as Kyoko drags her towards the creepy red-eyed man who had visited their house the night before.

"Hey Vincent." Vincent nods as Kyoko and Ryuu walk past him to talk to their friends. Touzoku appears out of nowhere next to Kyoko.

"You're just a little ray of sunshine to day aren't you?" Kyoko whips around and punches him in the gut, but not very hard. "Ow, what was that for?" Kyoko glares at him.

"Stop lying about it."

"Touchy, I was just having a little creative license. Lighten up."

"You were lying, scum sucker."

"Well, he does always call you on missions more than everyone else." Touzoku says, backing away from a grinning Kyoko.

"Come back here and lie to my face." She says calming, advancing on Touzoku. He breaks out into a full tilt run with Kyoko chasing after him. Ryuu walks over to Hikari and Kaelyn, trying to ignore her odd sister.

"Good morning!" Kaelyn and Hikari say, walking over to meet Ryuu. "Did Sai come with you?" Ryuu nods, looking around for her charge. They all flinch at a loud crash and turn around slowly to see Touzoku, Kyoko, Marikku, and Malik in a huge pile.

"Ow. Fuck, Touzoku, do you always wear that damn dream catcher?" The taller of the two blondes complains, disentangling himself from the pile up that Kyoko created.

"It's an heirloom dumbass." Touzoku stands up, dusting himself off. Kyoko and Malik have a little more difficulty separating themselves.

"Ow. Malik, my hair is stuck on your shirt." Five minutes of discomfort later finds Marikku with a rather spectacular bruise on his stomach for _lovely_ comments on Kyoko's hair. Kyoko is clawing in the general direction of Marikku's face because he insulted her height or lack thereof. Vincent comes up behind Kyoko and grabs the back of her shirt, effectively separating her from her tormentor.

"You know, I could sue you for sexual harassment." Vincent lets go of Kyoko's shirt quickly.

"Despite the fact that that is one of the least sexually harassing things he's done, considering the lovely situation with the underground collapse last month." Touzoku almost squeaks as Kyoko tackles him and holds his arm at an extremely awkward and painful angle.

"Fuck! I was just teasing." Malik pulls Kyoko off of Touzoku who hides behind Marikku. Ryuu simply sweat drops at the whole ordeal. She turns back to Kaelyn and Hikari.

"Kyoko told me about CROSS and the spirit guardians last night." Kaelyn heaves a melodramatic sigh.

"Finally! I hated lying to you about what we were doing, but we had direct orders not to tell you anything until Sai appeared." Ryuu, Hikari, and Kaelyn share a brief embrace. Sai flickers into existence behind Ryuu as their hug separates. Hikari walks up to him and bows slightly, as does Kaelyn. Sai bows in reply. Vincent practically materializes behind them, scaring the trio of girls and the pseudo-visible spirit rather badly.

"Jesus, Vincent! Make some noise when you move!" Kaelyn had jumped when she had blinked and Vincent was standing right behind Hikari. Vincent mock bows sardonically.

"My apologies miss, but our tour of the Japanese exhibit is about to begin," he says, his voice practically dripping with sarcasm. Hikari and Kaelyn roll their eyes at each other before linking arms with Ryuu and following Vincent and the rest of their group. The guard in front of the exhibit takes their tickets and ushers them in.

The first room of the exhibit is a movie, covering the basic information on the Emperors that ruled in the Heian Era, as well as the information on the other influential families during those times. The group watches the video before proceeding to the next room. The second room holds a diorama of the Imperial City and its surrounding lands as well as posters and audio tracks about the norms of the Heian era. The third room is more interesting, with a full-size replica of a typical peasant's house, with facts under things that you could lift up. The fourth room has two sides, one dedicated to the life of a noble female; the other to noble males. This room holds the group's attention for the longest.

"Damn, how the hell did they put up with wearing that many clothes?" Touzoku muses out loud. Kyoko snorts at his rhetorical question.

"Just because you feel the need to renounce clothing and run around buck naked, doesn't mean everyone else does." Kaelyn giggles a little bit at this comment and Touzoku smirks.

"How do you know that I run around naked?" He is disappointed when, instead of blushing, Kyoko returns his comment with a smirk of her own.

"CROSS monitors the behavior of all of its members for a three month period before initiating them, and I have high level access codes."

"No you don't," says Kaelyn through her giggles. "You were using Vincent's code."

"How'd you know whose code it was?"

"Simple, no one else would use 'Cerberus' for a password."

"Speaking of Cerberus, have you ever thought that maybe Vincent is compensating for something?" A shadow falls over the gossiping group. Kyoko, without looking up, greets the person.

"Hello Vincent." Vincent glares at the group.

"You are supposed to be learning about life in Heian era Japan, _not_ discussing CROSS business and whether or not I am compensating for things, understood?" Vincent menaces. Kyoko mock salutes him.

"Yes sir, owner of overly large guns." Touzoku snorts and hurries after the rest of the group. They find them selves in a room full of half-life size dioramas depicting palace life. There was one of a typical court scene with the emperor and his advisors and a scene of a tea ceremony with one of the most well known princesses of the era and her female relatives and retainers, as well as diorama of a game of go with the premier Go master of the era. The group of students in the anime club that were commonly dubbed the 'Sai fan club' by Ryuu were obsessing over the Go diorama.

"Oh…my…god!" A boy with white hair and a strange tattoo on his eye says, starting to hyperventilate slightly.

"It's Fujiwara no Sai!" A girl with brown hair exclaims, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

"OMG! Yays!" A rather annoying brunette with thick rimmed glasses half-screams giddily. Her reluctant companions all turn to glare at her.

"Shut up Schiezcka," they say in unison. The annoying brunette visibly deflates. A girl with long black hair and a rather vacant expression examines the diorama.

"I didn't think that he was a real person." A blond girl turns to the vacant looking girl with a look of absolute shock and mild mock betrayal.

"Of course he's real, River!" Kyoko lazily appears seemingly from nowhere amongst the group of fan girls (and boy).

"Was," she states simply, examining the positions on the go board. The blond girl turns to her with a look of slight confusion.

"Huh?" She enquires eloquently.

"Was, Winry, my dear, stupid airhead. He's dead! Dried up and crispy! Deceased! Gone to the Go salon in the sky! Brain fucked by maggots! Six feet under! In the great beyond! In short he is an ex-idol to you and your sorry little cult of stalkers." Kyoko is grinning at the infuriated group of fan girls (and boy). The first brunette glares at Kyoko.

"You…you…you blasphemer!" Serenity shrieks at Kyoko's retreating back. Kyoko glances over her shoulder and grins in a way that is more fitting to psychological thriller than an 'innocent' school outing. Atemu and Touzoku are arguing vehemently as Kyoko follows them into the final part of the exhibit before the gift shop. This part is an interactive dress up part where you can get your picture taken in semi-traditional looking robes.

"I'll bet you anything that the game was a real game!" Touzoku declares brazenly. Atemu smirks maliciously.

"Loser has to wear a girl's kimono in the picture." Touzoku smirks.

"Prepare to embrace your true gender, loser." Touzoku says slyly, before calling over his shoulder, "Ryuu, I have a question about one of the dioramas." Ryuu smiles happily before walking over to Touzoku and Atemu.

"What's your question?" Touzoku smirks at Atemu before answering Ryuu.

"In the diorama of the Go game, was it a teaching game or a real game?" Ryuu delicately arches an eyebrow at the two boys.

"It was a teaching game, why do you ask?" Atemu cackles rather maniacally whilst Touzoku tries valiantly to make a thief-like escape.

"Touzoku and I had a bet, and the loser has to wear a girl's kimono in the picture. Get back here, Touzoku." Ryuu snickers a bit and walks back to where she left Sai, Kaelyn, and Hikari. Atemu manages to get Touzoku in a headlock before calling Kyoko over.

"Oy, Kyoko, mind getting this sore loser into a girl's kimono?" Kyoko shrugs, tying a silver obi around her indigo and silver kimono. She wanders off and grabs a pink and gold kimono and a delicate white obi. Atemu leaves Touzoku in her tender loving care and goes to find something to wear in the picture.

"Quit squirming, you're just making the kimono more twisted and prolonging your misery. Put your arm through here." Touzoku complies grumpily and lets Kyoko dress him. She then drags Touzoku over to the group where they are taking pictures. Ryuu, Atemu, Kaelyn, Hikari, Malik, and Marikku are already seated on the benches. Ryuu makes Kyoko sit next to her, and Kyoko pushes Touzoku over towards Marikku and the only seat left. Once they had their picture taken, the group divests themselves of their Japanese garb and heads for the gift shop.

Ryuu, Kaelyn, and Hikari, along with the rest of the girls head for the kimonos immediately. Kyoko and the boys head for the swords. Fifteen minutes later finds Kyoko looking over the racks of kimonos.

"Crap, crap, double crap, crap, halfway decent, crap, crap, crap," she mutters under her breath. Ryuu comes up behind her sister, quirking an eyebrow quizzically.

"What are you doing, Kyo?" Kyoko turns around and raises an eyebrow at Ryuu.

"Observing the utter crappiness of these mass-produced kimonos. If you really wanted one, the one with the dragons on it would be okay if you re-sewed the seams." She says off-handedly as she wanders toward the swords again. Ryuu purchases the kimono as well as a lovely dragon and phoenix pendant. Kyoko purchases a stunning specimen of the traditional katana. Touzoku runs in fear of his life. The rest of the group wanders off to look at the rest of the museum. Ryuu sits down on a bench yawning. Sai sits next to her.

"What are you doing Fe-Ryuu?" Ryuu yawns again and leans against the wall.

"I'm just going to close my eyes for a bit. I'm fairly tired." Sai warily accepts her answer as she drifts off to sleep.

--line break--

And, so, this is the fourth chapter of _A Forgotten Story_. For anyone who is actually reading this, and anyone who actually cares, _CROSS_ has been deleted and is going through reformatting. It's now posted on under the title _The CROSS Handbook_. Several companion pieces will be forthcoming.

Thanks for reading and please leave a review with constructive criticism and/or praise/affirmation that people are actually reading this.

Shadow


End file.
